Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) posted yet another weak showing in his primary on Tuesday night, toppling challenger Dan Frei by just 8 points.
{mosads}Terry’s margin over the businessman narrowed over the night and by the time the Associated Press called the race, Terry won with just 54 percent to Frei’s 46 percent support.
And Frei didn’t post much of a challenge to begin with — he spent just $40,000 in the race, according to Nebraska Watchdog, compared to the $900,000 Terry spent to hold the seat.
Conservatives have long been frustrated with Terry for his votes for the financial bailout and to raise the debt limit, among others, and he’s faced primary challenges the last four election cycles, with his challengers drawing about 40 percent of the vote in 2008 and 2010.
Terry won reelection by just over 1 percentage point in 2012, making him initially a Democratic target this cycle.
But the party’s recruit for the race, Omaha city councilman Pete Festersen, dropped out late last year, leaving Democrats with party-switching state Sen. Brad Ashford.
Though national Republicans named Terry to their list of most vulnerable incumbents last year, Ashford has yet to make the notice of national Democrats. Terry’s slim win margin in the primary, however, may be reason for them to tune back into the race.